Cosmo's Man Summit: What Do Men Want?

To answer this question, Cosmopolitan conducted a survey of 1,500 men to explore the surprising ways male goals and needs—both professional and personal—are changing. The revealing results, which you can read below, was unveiled and analyzed by a panel of key experts at the first-of-its-kind "Man Summit," hosted at Cosmo's headquarters in New York City. The expert panel—a mix of psychologists, sociologists and anthropologists—explained what's driving these major shifts and the impact they're likely to have on women's lives—because let's face it, what's going on in his head does affect you. Check out the results here, and include your comments about what you think is going on with guys today.

Sep 23, 2010

Chris Clinton

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Key findings of the Man Summit survey include:

61% of men say that guys today have it harder than men of previous generations, yet 58% of women believe that men have it easier.

59% of men and 76% of women think most men would feel uncomfortable if their partner had a bigger paycheck.

32% of men and 29% of women think that their generation will have happier marriages than past generations.

29% of men report that the number one thing women don't understand about them is that they want to feel needed. If the woman is overly independent or ambivalent, he'll worry there isn't a place for him in her life.

Find out more details about the event that aims to uncover the changing roles of men...

Bill Hemmer, cohost of Fox News Channel's America's Newsroom will moderate the panel discussion among the following leading experts:

*Lionel Tiger, PhD, is a Charles Darwin professor of anthropology at Rutgers University and author of several books, including Men in Groups, The Pursuit of Pleasure, and The Decline of Males.

*William S. Pollack, PhD, is the founding director and president of the Centers for Men and Young Men at McLean Hospital, in Massachusetts.

*Kathleen Gerson, PhD, is a professor of sociology and collegiate professor of arts and science at New York University and chair of the Faculty of Arts and Science Gender Equity Committee.

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*Ian Kerner, PhD, is a sex therapist and New York Times best-selling author of numerous books, including She Comes First and Love in the Time of Colic.

*Wes Moore is a youth advocate, army combat veteran, business leader, and best-selling author of the book The Other Wes Moore.

Complete Survey Results:

-61% of men say that guys today have it harder than men of previous generations, yet 58% of women believe men have it easier.

-79% of men and 85% of women say that men define success as a measure of financial status.

-The number one thing men would like to change about women today: They wish women cared less about their paycheck and status and were less materialistic.

-59% of men and 76% of women think most men would feel uncomfortable if their partner had a bigger paycheck

-67% of guys and 73% of women say men today are less ambitious than they were a generation ago.

-54% of men and 62% of women agree that women in their 20s are more ambitious than men in their 20s.

-63% of men and 76% of women think men have an advantage over women when it comes to getting ahead at work.

-But the majority (68% of women and 56% of men) say that traditionally "feminine" qualities—empathy, teamwork, and communication—are more important to success than "masculine" skills like aggressiveness and competitiveness.

-60% of men and 53% of women agree that women have unrealistic expectations of men and that women expect more from men than men expect from women. Women want men to be successful, share the housework and childcare, and be their best friend.

-Nearly 30% of men report that they would like to go back to a time when there were more rigid gender roles, because relationships were easier to navigate then.

-57% of men and 69% of women agree that men are more commitment-phobic now compared to previous generations.

-When asked why men are waiting longer to get married these days, the sexes had different theories: 23% of men (the highest percentage) believe it's because they're waiting to be financially stable and established in their career. On the other hand, 37% of women (the highest percentage) believe that men enjoy being single and don't want to be tied down too soon.

-Only 32% men and 29% of women think their generation will have happier marriages than past generations.

-13% of men say their partner has a stronger sex drive than they do, and 21% of women say their sex drive is stronger than their partner's.

-42% of guys and 61% of women are worried that their partner may cheat on them at some point.

-23% of men and 24% of women are worried they might cheat on their partner at some point.

-33% of men and 30% of women say they could forgive infidelity.

-29% of men report that the number one thing women don't understand about them is that they want to feel needed. If a woman is overly independent or ambivalent, he'll worry there isn't a place for him in her life.

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